OTTAWA — A software program that could end much angry debate between injured soldiers and Veterans Affairs Canada has been stuck in the federal bureaucracy for over a year.

Canada’s veterans watchdog has been pushing for the application to be made available online so former members of the military and RCMP can calculate their individual eligibility and accessibility to the department’s Byzantine series of programs.

"We’re very active in trying to get Veterans Affairs Canada to modernize its ways, if you wish," Guy Parent, the veterans ombudsman, said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press.

The relationship between the department and its clients has at times been poisonous. Some veterans approach the system with an ingrained suspicion, while others have had their hopes dashed by indifference — or at times — the outright incompetence of bureaucrats. [Bratnote: Ya think??? I wonder why. NOT!!]

Last year, it was revealed department officials went years without informing nearly 1,000 of the most severely injured veterans they were eligible for what’s known as an exceptional incapacity allowance — a stipend that for some would have meant up to $1,000 per month. The situation wasn’t corrected until Parent’s office stepped in.

Having better information at their fingertips could only help those who approach the department, said Parent.

"It is a fantastic piece of work that helps identify a veteran — or the family of a veteran — by service, and it can lead you right to the programs, benefits that are accessible to them."..